Ukraine leader promises to punish separatists

Ukraine's president-elect. Petro Poroshenko. has promised to punish pro-Russian rebels who shot down an army helicopter in the east of the country, killing 14 soldiers, including a general. The country's newly elected leader called the...

"build a road forward where Ukraine becomes a bridge between the West and the East"

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SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Rebels in eastern Ukraine shot down a government military helicopter Thursday amid heavy fighting around Slovyansk, killing at least 12 soldiers including a general, officials said. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament in Kiev that rebels used a portable air defense missile to bring down the helicopter. He said 14 died, including Gen....

Ukraine said it had regained control of swathes of the separatist east on Friday, even as Washington expressed concern over the appearance of fighters from Russia's war-ravaged region of Chechnya among the insurgents. The rebels for their part dismissed speculation of a rift in their ranks after a dozen local militants were evicted from their seat of power in Donetsk by a...

Russia's Federation Council, parliament’s upper house, Wednesday revoked its March ruling allowing President Vladimir Putin to use the country’s armed forces in neighboring Ukraine. The council’s action came a day after Putin asked the legislative body for the change in a letter indicating it would “be aimed at normalizing and resolving the situation in Ukraine's eastern...

Rebels in eastern Ukraine shot down a government military helicopter Thursday amid heavy fighting around Slovyansk, killing at least 12 soldiers including a general, officials said. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament in Kiev that rebels used a portable air defense missile to bring down the helicopter. He said 14 died, including Gen. Serhiy Kulchytskiy,...

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Rebels in eastern Ukraine shot down a government military helicopter Thursday amid heavy fighting around Slovyansk, killing at least 12 soldiers including a general, officials said. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament in Kiev that rebels used a portable air defense missile to bring down the helicopter. He said 14 died, including Gen....

Rebels in eastern Ukraine shot down a government military helicopter Thursday amid heavy fighting around the eastern city of Slovyansk, killing 14 soldiers including a general, Ukraine's leader said. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament in Kiev that rebels used a portable air defense missile Thursday to down the helicopter and said Gen. Volodymyr Kulchitsky...

Rebels in eastern Ukraine shot down a government military helicopter Thursday amid heavy fighting around the eastern city of Slovyansk, killing 14 soldiers including a general, Ukraine's leader said. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told the parliament in Kiev that rebels used a portable air defense missile Thursday to down the helicopter and said Gen. Volodymyr Kulchitsky...

Ukraine Vows To Punish Rebels Who Downed Plane

published:14 Jun 2014

Ukraine Vows To Punish Rebels Who D

Ukraine Vows To Punish Rebels Who Downed Plane

Ukraine's new president declared Sunday a day of mourning, and vowed to punish those responsible after pro-Russia separatists shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane, killing all 49 crew and tr...

Ukraine Vows To Punish Rebels Who Downed Plane

Ukraine's new president declared Sunday a day of mourning, and vowed to punish those responsible after pro-Russia separatists shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane, killing all 49 crew and troops aboard. It was a bitter setback for the Ukrainian forces — the deadliest single incident yet--in their escalating battle against an armed insurgency that the government, backed by the U.S., insists is supported by Russia. The downing of the plane drew condemnation and concern from the White House and European leaders.
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duration:0:38

published:14 Jun 2014

updated:14 Jun 2014

views:20

Ukrainian Aircraft Shot Down By Separatists

Ukrainian Aircraft Shot Down By Separatists Ukraine's president declares a day of mourning and vows to punish "terrorism of this magnitude" after 49 servicem...

Ukraine helicopters shot down by Pro-Russian Rebels, 2 Pilots Dead

Ukraine Crisis: Helicopters Shot Down - ополченцы в Славянске сбили армейский вертолет
(Reuters) - Pro-Russian rebels shot down two Ukrainian helicopters on Friday, killing two crew, as troops tightened their siege of separatist-held Slaviansk and Moscow accused Kiev of launching a "criminal" assault that wrecked hopes of peace.
SLOVYANSK, Ukraine (AP) - Two Ukrainian helicopters were shot down Friday as Ukraine launched its first major offensive against the pro-Russia forces that have seized government buildings in the east. The Kremlin said Kiev's move against the insurgents "destroyed" hopes for peace in the region.
Fighting broke out around dawn near Slovyansk, a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the Russian border that has become the focus of the armed insurgency against Ukraine's interim government. Two helicopter crew were killed in the crashes, both sides said, and a pro-Russia militiaman was reported killed.
One of the helicopters was hit by a surface-to-air missile, the Ukrainian Security Service said, adding that the sophisticated weapon undercut Russia's claims the city was simply under the control of armed locals. The agency said its forces were fighting "highly skilled foreign military men" in Slovyansk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the offensive "effectively destroyed the last hope for the implementation of the Geneva agreements" that aimed to defuse the crisis. A day earlier Putin warned Ukraine not to move against the insurgents and said it should withdraw its military from eastern and southern regions.
Ukraine, a nation of 46 million, is deeply divided between those in the west who favor closer ties with Europe and many Russian-speakers in the east who look toward Moscow.
Ukraine has accused Russia of backing the insurgents who have seized government buildings in 10 eastern cities and fears that Moscow is seeking a pretext to invade; Russia has already stationed tens of thousands of troops in areas near the Ukrainian border.
Russian troops backed separatists in Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March, then annexed the region after a referendum called for secession.
A deal in Geneva last month aimed to get those who had seized government buildings in Ukraine to leave and calm down the tensions that have prompted the United States and the European Union to slap Russia with sanctions for its actions in Ukraine.
Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov admitted earlier this week that the central government had lost control of the east, and said some government troops and police there were "either helping or cooperating with terrorist organizations." He said efforts should be focused on preventing the instability from spreading to other parts of the country.
Russia's foreign ministry on Friday accused Ukraine's fledging government of using "terrorists" from ultranationalist organizations for the military operation. It also claimed that Kiev deployed tanks and helicopters that were "conducting missile strikes on protesters," something that neither side in Ukraine reported. An Associated Press crew also saw no evidence of missile strikes in Slovyansk.
The foreign ministry also cited insurgents in Ukraine as saying that some of the government attackers spoke English.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had sent envoy Vladimir Lukin to Ukraine's southeast to negotiate the release of seven foreign military observers who were being held hostage by pro-Russia militia in Slovyansk.
Ukrainian troops met fierce resistance Friday but managed to take control of nine checkpoints on the roads around Slovyansk, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a statement. He called on the insurgents to lay down the arms and release the hostages they have taken.
By afternoon, Ukrainian Security Service said half of Slovyansk was already under control of the Ukrainian army - a claim that could not be immediately verified.
"We are ready to negotiate with protesters and their representatives," Avakov said. "But for terrorists and armed separatists there is only punishment."
The city center appeared quiet but empty and tense Friday morning. On the road leading into Slovyansk from the south, an Associated Press reporter saw six parked Ukrainian armored vehicles Friday morning and an AP cameraman saw black plumes of smoke on the edge of the city, where an emergency siren had sounded at dawn.
ополченцы в Славянске сбили армейский вертолет Pro-Russian forces shot down several Ukrainian helicopters Slavyansk Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk rebels down army helicopters Putin slams Ukraine's air attack, rebels down two helicopters Pro-Russian forces shot down several Ukrainian helicopters Slavyansk Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk rebels down army helicopters Putin slams Ukraine's air attack, rebels down two helicopters

duration:2:28

published:02 May 2014

updated:02 May 2014

views:13034

Ukraine takes back Donetsk airport from Pro-Russian rebels

UKRAINE says it has regained control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk after a day of punishing air strikes and fierce fighting with pro-Moscow s...

Pro-Russian rebels make gains in Ukraine's east

As the diplomatic push for a peace deal continues, pro-Russian rebels have intensified shelling of Ukrainian forces in the country's east.
And local sources say the separatists appear to be amassing fighters for new offensives.
Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from Uglegorsk, a town that was recently gained by the separatists.

Russia Calls for End to Sanctions as EU Targets Ukraine Separatists

Russia urged the European Union on Saturday to lift sanctions against Moscow and promised to waive its food embargo, but a top EU official rejected such a move as the bloc imposed fresh measures on Ukrainian rebels.
The European Union and the United States imposed economic sanctions on Russia in late July, targeting the Russian energy, banking and defense sectors to punish Moscow's support for rebels in eastern Ukraine, the West's toughest steps yet.
In retaliation, Moscow has banned most Western food imports, worth $9 billion a year.
Russia's deputy foreign minister, Alexei Meshkov, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency, "We don't expect anything from our European partners. The only thing we expect is for them to leave the meaningless sanctions spiral and move onto the path of lifting the sanctions and dropping the blacklists."
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duration:1:01

published:29 Nov 2014

updated:29 Nov 2014

views:181

Rebel leader: Let's duel to win Ukraine

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After thousands of deaths and months of futile attempts to avoid more in Ukraine's fight with pro-Russian rebels, leaders on both sides talked past each other Wednesday, with one saying direct negotiations were off the table and another suggesting that the war be settled with a duel. Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-declared separatist republic in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region, said he challenges Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to a one-on-one fight to end the monthslong conflict. Regardless of whether Plotnitsky's offer was sincere, it reflected a serious reality: A war that has spread misery in eastern Ukraine and heightened tensions between Russia and the West is still going on, despite a supposed ceasefire that the two sides signed two months ago. "Let's follow the example of the ancient Slavic leaders and glorious Kazakh chiefs and clash in a fight," Plotnitsky said, adding that Poroshenko could pick the time and weapons, according to ITAR-Tass. "The one who wins will dictate the terms to the opposite side." Ukraine's government made no immediate public response. But Kiev did say that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and more than a dozen others were wounded in clashes across eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. And Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday that Kiev would not negotiate directly with the rebels, arguing that a ceasefire deal already had been made and all that anyone needed to do was follow it. "Fulfill the Minsk agreement if you want peace," Yatsenyuk said, according to state-run media outlet Ukrinfom. Minsk is the Belarus capital where the sides reached the deal. "In order to guarantee reaching peace we need to negotiate in a format accepted by the whole world and, first of all, suitable for Ukraine," Yatsenyuk said. Pro-Russian separatists have claimed control of parts of eastern Ukraine since the spring, despite a push by Ukrainian forces to defeat them. From mid-April to September 16 alone, the conflict had killed at least 3,500 people and injured at least 8,100 others,according to the United Nations. The sides reached a ceasefire agreement in September, but fighting has returned to levels that preceded the ceasefire, a British security source who has detailed knowledge of the matter told CNN earlier this month.
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Pro-Russia rebels cement hold on disputed Ukraine airport

Pro-Russian rebels cemented their hold Friday on a long-disputed airport ceded by Ukrainian troops during an upsurge in clashes that killed nearly 50 people and punctured Europe's latest push for peace in the nine-month war.
The deadliest day of fighting since the signing of an increasingly irrelevant September truce also saw Moscow and Kyivon Thursday trade bitter blame for a trolleybus shelling in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk that killed 13 mostly elderly passengers.
Moscow called the incident a "crime against humanity" orchestrated by a pro-Western government whose rise to power 11 months ago infuriated the Kremlin and prompted separatists to launch a revolt across the Russian-speaking industrial east.
Kyivfor its part blamed the bus attack on "Russian terrorists" while monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe who raced to the site said all they could say for certain was that "the weapon used was most likely either a mortar or an artillery piece."
Stunned residents in the eastern city gathered around the shredded remains of the bus and inspected with horror several bloodied bodies that remained sprawled in their seats hours after the early morning attack.
Kyivsuffered its biggest psychological blow on the bloody day when a small unit of Ukrainian paratroopers was forced to abandon its 242-day defence of Donetsk's once-gleaming but now ruined international airport.
A clam settled early on Friday over the shattered residential districts near the site after six days of some of the most intense rocket and mortar fire exchanges of the entire conflict.
The hub -- long stripped of its strategic importance by heavy shelling -- had become the symbolic prize of the conflict and had seen some of the heaviest fighting.
Rebels captured about 20 soldiers in the last hours of battle and paraded them in front of jeering locals who pelted the handcuffed men with snowballs and glass.
"They have to be punished, like Saddam Hussein. They are killers. They killed our children," a pensioner who identified herself only as Zina told AFP.
Kyivand rebel authorities said attacks across the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk on Thursday killed 10 soldiers and some 35 civilians in addition to those who died in the bus attack.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko defiantly vowed stand up to Russia's "aggression" and respond forcefully to future rebel attacks.
"We have pulled up extra reserves, and if the enemy does not want to respect the ceasefire, if the enemy does not want to end the suffering of civilians... we will be ready to hit them in the teeth," he told his top generals during an emergency meeting.
The violence has threatened to spiral out of control after a December lull that instilled hope in EU leaders that the diplomatically and economically damaging war on the bloc's eastern frontier could finally be drawing to a close.
Western diplomats in Kyivlinked the past week's spike in attacks to a reported infusion of Russian forces into the war zone.
The Kremlin calls such claims part of a Western propaganda campaign design to cut short President Vladimir Putin's 15-year rule.
Yet Moscow concedes that the militias have recently gained more ground than allowed under the September truce terms.
This advance comes as negotiators come closer to defining the confines of areas that will remain under temporary rebel control once the fighting ends.
Many in Kyivfear that the demarcation line will soon turn into an actual border splitting Ukraine from a resource-rich region that will eventually be folded into Russia.
The OSCE said on Thursday that the recent escalation had pushed the war's confirmed death toll to more than 5,000. The European security body said another 10,000 people have been wounded and one million more forced to flee their homes.
Thursday's violence came hours after the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met their counterparts from Germany in France for talks designed to salvage the September ceasefire and weapons withdrawal agreements.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the meeting had "tested the patience of all participants".
He said Moscow and Kyivboth agreed that the fighting must end. But he said not enough was achieved to allow Poroshenko to meet Putin for the signing of a formal peace deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emerged from the conference room first and brushed past reporters without a word.
"The challenge is not Ukraine. The challenge is Russia," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told CNN.

duration:4:26

published:23 Jan 2015

updated:23 Jan 2015

views:11

Ukrainian President Poroshenko extends truce for eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has extended a week-long ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists in the east for another three days.
He said he was hoping for progress on his peace plan.
Some rebel leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions said they would observe the truce, but others rejected it.
Mr Poroshenko's announcement came hours after he had signed a landmark EU trade pact - the issue that has been the trigger of the recent crisis.
He said it was a "historic" moment, but Russia warned of "consequences" and that Ukraine would split in two.
The deadline for the ceasefire to expire was Friday at 22:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Separatists in the east held talks on Friday with mediators, including Ukraine's former President Leonid Kuchma, Moscow's ambassador in Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The leader of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic" in the east, Aleksander Boroday, said the new truce would be observed until 30 June.
However, two other senior rebels in the Donetsk region, Pavlo Gubarev and Igor Girkin, were quoted by local media as saying they rejected the truce.
In Kiev, Mr Poroshenko met top security and defence officials to discuss the truce after returning from Brussels.
A statement was later posted on the Ukrainian presidential website confirming the truce until 19:00 GMT 30 June.
The document pointed to a policy statement on Ukraine, issued by the European Council on Friday which set out key steps it expected to happen by Monday.
They include the return of three key checkpoints to Ukrainian forces and the "launch of substantial negotiations on the implementation of President Poroshenko's peace plan".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier said he would welcome an extension, but not if it were simply an ultimatum for separatists to lay down their arms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted on a long-term ceasefire to allow for negotiations between the Ukrainian government and separatists, urging Mr Poroshenko to embark on a "path of peace, dialogue and accord".
Mr Putin said: "There is bloodshed in the south-east Ukraine, humanitarian catastrophe, tens of thousands of refugees have to look for shelter, on Russian territory."
Mr Poroshenko set out a 15-point peace plan on 20 June. It involves decentralising power and holding early local and parliamentary elections.
It also proposes the creation of a 10km (six-mile) buffer zone on the Ukrainian-Russian border, and a safe corridor for pro-Russian separatists to leave the conflict areas.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Russia the EU was prepared for "drastic measures" if there was no speedy progress on Mr Poroshenko's peace plan.
French President Francois Hollande said more measures would be taken if there was no progress after Sunday, when he and Mrs Merkel will speak to Mr Putin by phone.
Observers freed
Fighting is said to have continued in some areas of eastern Ukraine despite the ceasefire.
But rebels have now released four international observers captured more than a month ago.
More than 420 people have been killed in fighting between pro-Russia rebels and government forces in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the UN estimates.
The separatists have declared independence, claiming that extremists have taken power in Kiev. Their move followed Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.
Earlier on Friday in Brussels, Mr Poroshenko hailed the 1,200-page EU Association Agreement as a turning point, describing it as a "symbol of faith and unbreakable will".
Moldova and Georgia also signed the agreement.
"What a great day! It is a historic day, maybe the most important day since independence," Mr Poroshenko said.
But Mr Putin said that "attempts to force on the Ukrainian people an artificial choice between Europe and Russia brought [a split] to society, a painful internal confrontation".
The refusal of Mr Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, to sign the EU deal, under pressure from Russia, had led to protests in Kiev and his eventual overthrow this year.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said there would "undoubtedly be serious consequences for Ukraine's and Moldova's signing".
The Kremlin immediately said it would take "all the necessary measures" against Ukraine.
Russia has warned it will hit Ukraine with punishing trade restrictions.

duration:4:41

published:27 Jun 2014

updated:27 Jun 2014

views:31

Donetsk rebel leader Zaharchenko says he will continue to fight for Ukraine

Ukraine War | Intense Footage of Street Fighting in Debaltseve 17-02-2015
Fighting in Ukrainian Transport Hub of Debaltseve Threatens Cease-Fire
Rebel Attacks on the Town Pose a Dilemma for Ukraine’s President
SOLEDAR, Ukraine—President Petro Poroshenko denounced the advance of Russian-backed separatists into a strategic transport hub as a violation of a cease-fire, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine’s troops were surrounded and should surrender.
The street-to-street fighting as militants entered the town of Debaltseve Tuesday further darkened hopes for a European-brokered truce that was negotiated last week and left Mr. Poroshenko with narrowing options.
Ukraine warned the rebel advance threatened the deal, which was supposed to end months of fighting that has killed over 5,000. Kiev said the fighting prevented it from pulling back heavy weapons from the front line, the second step of the agreement. Some separatist units said they were preparing to pull back as the deal required, but that couldn’t be independently verified.
On a trip to Hungary, Mr. Putin said he hoped Kiev would allow its soldiers in Debaltseve to lay down their weapons and not face punishment.
“Of course, it’s always bad to lose,” Mr. Putin said. “Of course it’s always a hardship when you lose to yesterday’s miners or yesterday’s tractor drivers. But life is life. It’ll surely go on.” The U.S. and Ukraine say the attack on Debaltseve has been supported by Russian army units using Russian weaponry. Moscow denies supplying the separatists or sending troops.
The militants’ advance in the town, where they have thousands of Ukrainian soldiers hemmed in, pose a dilemma for Mr. Poroshenko, who hailed the deal as a way to end fighting and allow his government to focus on the country’s crumbling economy. Giving up the town, a critical rail hub between the two main rebel-held towns, would boost the militants and show they can dictate terms, while dealing a blow to Mr. Poroshenko’s authority.
Ukraine Military Pulls Out of Besieged Town
Ukraine's president said most of his government's forces have pulled out of the contested eastern Ukrainian town of Debaltseve, which has been under siege by pro-Russian rebels and where fighting has continued despite a cease-fire.
Kyiv's forces carried out a "planned and organized withdrawal from Debaltseve," according to a video statement by President Petro Poroshenko, who plans to travel to the frontlines later Wednesday to meet with soldiers.
Poroshenko said so far 80 percent of Ukrainian units have left the city, adding another two columns are expected to soon withdraw. Despite coming under "heavy artillery bombardments," he said only 30 troops were wounded in the pull-out operation.
Map of Debaltseve, Ukraine
Map of Debaltseve, Ukraine
Germany condemned on Wednesday the pro-Russian separatists' offensive at Debaltseve, calling it a clear violation of a cease-fire agreed last week, but said it was too early to call the broader Minsk peace deal dead.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Europe stood ready to introduce new sanctions against Russia, but made clear that action would depend on further developments on the ground in Ukraine.
The four leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France who hammered out the peace deal last week will discuss the Ukraine crisis in a telephone call Wednesday evening, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.
“The leaders want to push ahead with support and implementation of this accord," Le Foll told a regular news briefing earlier Wednesday.
'Full-scale street fighting'
Debaltseve, which links the two major separatist cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been the epicenter of fighting in recent weeks, even after an internationally brokered cease-fire that went into place Sunday.
A deputy regional police chief in the besieged city told reporters earlier Wednesday that "full-scale street fighting" continued, even as Ukrainian troops were pulling out.
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